D-Day: 75 Years Later

NORMANDY, FRANCE (WOAY) – On this day in 1944, American, British and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to bring the Allies one step closer to freeing German-occupied countries.

“I love what we have done and it shows strength and unity [in] everybody that works together towards a common goal,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Channell. “I am going to come back here, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity[and] nobody should ever pass it up.”

A West Virginia native, Channell’s grandfather fought during D-Day 75 years ago. Today, he has the honor to stand on the beaches his grandfather fought on. Even though he’s thousands of miles from home, he hasn’t forgotten his roots.

Watch the video for more details, including a special message from Channell to someone back home.

Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism.
During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing.
Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about.
Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.